Method of preservation



June 19, 1934. scg'rr 1,963,682

METHOD OF PRE S ERVATI ON Filed April 12, 1933 NNNNNN OR Patented June 19, 1934 T t 1 UNITED STATES PATENT; .OFFICE I a "METHOD 10F PRESERYATIQN Allison F. HQScott, Pleasantville, N. Y.

Application April 12, 193 .3,-Serial- No.. 665,694-

v 1 Claim. -'(Ol ..27 '-22)f v This invention relates 'to methods of preservathe gas generated for the purpose described shall tion and more specifically to vaults of air-seal have preservative value of its own, apart from type; it consists in provision whereby an air-seal such pressure efiect as has been described, to vault is rendered more effective in the protection stay the processes of decay to which the contents III of a buried body from the access of water. of the vault are subject.

In the accompanying drawing ;a burial is illusypically .I include with the body and within 7 trated in vertical section, transversely through the vault a quantity of calcium carbide. 'When the vault, and to this drawing reference will be .a burial is made the air inclosed within the vault made in the ensuing specification. is brought to and maintained at a relatively conili. The vault of air-seal type typically includes a stant temperaturea temperature that ordinari- 35 base or floor-plate, near the margin of which 1y is lower than the temperature of the air at rises to substantial height (say of five inches, the moment of closihg- A W Vapor a a ce is more or less) a continuous flange, itself imperestablished, and there is precipitation of moisture forate and imperforate in its union with the basefrom the inelosed y of a Such P p d H8] plate. Support is ordinarily provided within the moisture coming into contact with the calcium {6 vault for sustaining a body (contained, ordinarily, carbide reacts and produces acetylene gas. An-

within a casket) elevated at an interval above other source of water within the vault is the body the base or floor-plate, and such support may s f; fr m it, in course of time, Water escapes, consist in bars extending from the fiangeon either to accumulate in the bottom of the vault. And '8 side, transversely of the floor-plate. this water, too, coming into contact with carbide i5 Associated with the flanged floor-plate, and of calcium, will effect the generation of acetylene. forming with it the entire vault, is the cover, A third source of water, in particular instances, whose margin is so shaped and proportioned that, may be from without: water rising outside and when applied, the margin, resting upon th fl rovercoming the water seal (to the extent that the '28 plate, will throughout all its extent encircle the air alone is the effective seal-maintaining agent) Q0 flange. may pass over the flange 2 and enter the vault.

When the floor-plate has been t i th bot- If the so-entering water has immediate access tom of a grave, and a body (contained Ordinarily to carbide of calcium, acetylene gas will be genwithin a casket) has been lowered to place upon d; d it y be so erated in quantities the floor-plate, and the cover has been applied, a suflicient substantially to augm e p u c Q5" body of air is entrapped beneath the cover; and, pressure within the vault and to p event further should the burial be made in ground liable to beingress of W even should the wat ext rna ly come water-soaked, and should water accumu- 0f t vau t s to still higher level. If then the late, after burial has been completed, and stand body or the dytaining casket be arranged .85 at a level higher than the level of the base-plate, Within the vault at a level somewhat above the {30 a level high enough (in the absence of preventive m o flange 2, water that has so entered will not means) to gain access to the body within the gain cc ss to it. casket, the flange surrounded by the margin of Acetylene gas has recognized p e vative the cover will be found to be an effective sealz properties- It ts e growth of aerobiotic .40 the body of air entrapped within the vault, com- Organisms. g5 pressed by the rising tide of water, will afford re- Referring to the drawing, the ault is preferastraint upon rise, and will thus afford protection y formed of Cast-iron, and nsists of two castto the buried body. lngs. Formed integrally with the base or floor- The invention consists in employing, in assoplate 1 are the flange 2, and the cross-bars 3.

ll ciation with such a vault of air-seal type, means The cover 4 is indeed a bell, and comes to posi- 10 for generating within the vault, after the vault tion resting by its margin upon plate 1 and closely ha's'been closed, additional volumes of gas, to re- Surrounding by its margin t flange 2. These enforce the pneumatic pressure within, and thus Ca ti gs a e impervious, and the burial vault is to render the air-seal more effective. The gaspractically indestructible by ordinary agencies of 5 generation contemplated will ordinarily be of corrosion. The line A-B upon the drawing is in- 1 relatively slow progress, to the end that the contended diagrammatically to indicate a level to sequent increase of internal pressure shall occur which water may rise in the ground in which the when and not until occasion arises to render the vault rests. In such circumstances the air-seal access useful. described becomes effective.

55 Furthermore, I may employ materials such that Among other materials that y be mployed 11 to afford added volumes of gas I would name aluminum carbide, which reacts with water to produce methane; and. metallic sodium and metallic potassium react with water and afford free hydrogen.

The seal against ingress of water to a vault of air-seal type cannot be regarded as permanently effective. That is to say, when water has risen externally of a vault to a level such as to render the body of air within the vault effective in the manner described, a process of absorption sets in-apenetration of the air into the adjacent body of Water and a consequent creeping in of the tide of water, until at length the seal becomes less effective, and Water gradually accumulates within and fills to greater and greater olegree the vault chamber. This, to be sure, is a very gradual, nevertheless a very certain, natural process. The generation within the vault of additional volumes of gas, as is accomplished in the practice of my invention, has the incidental consequence and effect of prolonging the period and, with proper attention, prolonging in very substantial degree the period during which the vault and its contents will continue secure against ingress of moisture, even in water-soaked ground.

I claim as my invention:

In the art of preservation, wherein a corpse is disposed within a vault of air-seal type and the vault is buried in water-soaked ground, the method herein described of increasing the efficacyof the seal and prolonging the period of security of the corpse from the access of water which consists in building up and replenishing within the vault gaseous pressure by reaction of material enclosed within the vault at the time of burial with moisture Within the vault, whereby such augmentation becomes continuously effective in the prevention of ingress of water.

ALLISON F. H. SCOTT. 

